The morning began too silent for a house of that size.
Light came through the tall windows in the corridor, spreading across the clean floor, and for a few seconds I forgot where I was. Then I remembered everything at once. The mansion. The title. The Rank S. The uncomfortable feeling of living a life that did not match who I had been until recently.
I got up slowly and walked to the main room. Elara was already there, sitting at the table, eating something simple and flipping through a scroll.
"You woke up early," she said.
"I couldn't sleep properly," I replied. "This house is too quiet."
She smiled. "Do you prefer the noise of the inn?"
"No," I admitted. "But at least it made sense."
Liriel appeared shortly after, calm as always, followed by Vespera, who observed everything with the same caution of someone expecting an ambush even inside their own home.
That was when we heard the sound.
Organized footsteps. Not hurried. Not stealthy.
I looked at the main door at the exact moment someone knocked, firm and respectful.
"I'll get it," I said, already walking.
When I opened the door, I found a man with impeccable posture, simple but well-kept clothes. Behind him, three women and two other men waited in silence.
"Takumi," he said, slightly bowing his head. "I was sent by the castle."
My stomach tightened.
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
"Not at all," he replied. "We are the servants assigned to this residence."
I blinked a few times. "Servants?"
He nodded. "Kitchen, cleaning, maintenance, and general organization. All according to royal decree."
Elara stepped closer behind me. "Wait. Who pays for all this?"
The man smiled lightly. "The king."
Vespera frowned. "For how long?"
"As long as this residence remains under the responsibility of the group that defended Vailor." He paused. "Or as long as the kingdom exists."
I closed my eyes for a second.
"This is too much," I murmured. "We didn't ask for this."
"Even so, it was granted," he replied calmly. "The king considers this house an extension of the kingdom's security."
Liriel stepped forward. "So we will have no costs?"
"None," he confirmed. "Salaries, basic supplies, and maintenance are covered."
I sighed, defeated.
"Come in," I finally said.
They spread through the mansion with unsettling efficiency. In a few minutes, the place seemed more alive than ever. The smell of food began to rise from the kitchen. Fabrics were replaced. Windows opened. Everything without excessive noise.
I sat on the sofa, watching it all happen.
"You look pale," Elara commented.
"I'm trying to understand at what point in my life this became normal."
She laughed softly. "It didn't. It just happened."
Vespera crossed her arms. "This also means indirect surveillance."
"I know," I replied. "Nothing comes without strings."
Later, one of the servants approached. "Lunch will be served shortly."
"Don't go overboard," I said.
"Royal order," he replied, simply.
When I found myself alone for a moment, I walked to the inner garden. The sun was high now, and the silence had been replaced by subtle sounds of work. I sat on the stone bench and let my thoughts run free.
Until recently, I shared a cramped room, counted coins, and avoided debts that never stopped growing. Now, I had a mansion, servants paid by the king, and a title that placed me above people who never knew what it was like to go hungry.
"How did we get here?" I murmured to no one.
Liriel approached and sat beside me. "It wasn't luck."
"It also wasn't a conscious choice."
"Even so, it was you," she replied.
When night fell, the exhaustion finally caught up with me. I returned to the room, turned off the lights, and lay down. The bed still seemed too big, but this time it didn't bother me as much.
I closed my eyes.
Some time later, I felt the mattress sink slightly beside me. Then on the other side. I didn't open my eyes. I recognized the presence without effort.
No one said anything.
They simply stayed there, lying beside me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And, for the first time since I woke up in that mansion, the silence did not feel strange.
Only human.